Method for packaging stranded material



v. c. REES Dec. 24, 1963 METHOD FOR PACKAGING STRANDED MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Original Filed March 3, 1958 INVENTOR.

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a J 9:. ATTORNEYS Dec. 24, 1963 v. c. REES 3,115,31

METHOD FOR PACKAGING STRANDED MATERIAL Original Filed March 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,115,312- METHOD FQR PACKAGING STRANDED MATERHAL Vernon C. Rees, Newark, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Johns-Manviile Qorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application Mar. 3, 1%8, Ser. No. 718,532, new Patent No. 3,051,402, dated Aug. 28, 1962. Divided and this application Nov. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 151,462

3 Claims. (Cl. 24218) This invention relates broadly to a novel method for packaging strands of material. More specifically, it relates to an improved method for packaging a strand comprised of a multiplicity of fine glass filaments. This is a division application of copending application Serial No. 718,532, filed March 3, 1958, now Patent No. 3,051,402.

Although this description is primarily concerned with the packaging of strands comprised of fine glass filaments, it is not to be construed as restricted to glass, but is to include organic and inorganic filamentary strands, particularly those which are coated with a size, lubricant or binder.

In the manufacture of strands of the type defined above, a plurality of streams flow from a bushing having a predetermined number of small orifices. The streams are attenuated in any conventional manner, collected into a strand and traversed upon a spool to form a package. It is also the general practice to apply a coating of a lubricant, size, or binder at the collection point.

Thereafter, the strand is traversed upon the periphery of a rotating bobbin or spool to form a package.

Unfortunately, the known devices for traversing the strand upon a spool physically contact the strand, either continuously or at regularly spaced intervals. This contact tends to separate the filaments after the binder has set, thereby destroying the integrity of the strand. Furthermore, experiments with traversing devices which physically contact the strand have revealed a variation in tension of the strand within each cycle of the traverser and in addition when continuity of a uniformly applied coating is imperative such contact has a deleterious effect upon the uniformity and continuity of the coating.

Also, the known traversing devices are located in close proximity to the mandrel which rotates the spool or core and many are rather fragile in nature. The replacement of the spool is a rapidly executed maneuver and because of the fragility and close proximity of the traversing mechanisms to the mandrel the mechanism is susceptible to damage when a replacement spool is not properly aligned with the mandrel. Furthermore, many of the traversing mechanisms in use require frequent cleaning and adjusting, due primarily to lint and dirt fouling the mechanism.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method for packaging stranded material.

It is another object of this invention to provide a method for applying a uniform coating to a stranded material.

It is another object of this invention to produce a helically wound package wherein a coated strand is traversed upon a spool without physical contact by the traversing mechanism.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method for winding and traversing a strand upon a spool, whereby the spool replacement area is unobstructed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus for packaging strands of material;

3,115,312 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the relative positions of the guide and the spool as viewed from the right of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1%) indicates a bushing for drawing glass. The bottom of the bushing is provided with a number of orifices corresponding to the number of filaments making up the strand.

The bushing is charged with a supply of glass, usually in the form of marbles, which supply is replenished at a rate commensurate with the draw. Heat is applied to the bushing in any convenient manner, as electrically, to render the glass therein molten and of a consistency so that it will rapidly flow from the orifices in streams 12. The streams of glass 12 are attenuated by means to be described hereinafter and collected into a single strand at a guide 13 which is faced at the point of contact with a cloth 14, such as is used to cover tennis balls. The cloth is wet by the coating material issuing in a liquid stream from the nozzle 16. Thereafter the strand 17 is wound upon a revolving spool 18. The apparatus described above is conventional in form and function, however, when taken in combination with the hereinafter disclosed winding mechanism, a novel means for coating and packaging stranded material is evolved.

The winding mechanism is generally indicated by the numeral 19 including a frame 20 comprised of four legs 21 connected at the top by pairs of angle irons 22 and 23 to form a rectalgne and at an intermediate point by additional pairs of angle irons 24 and 25. A bracket 26 is welded to the outer face of one of the angle irons 24 and supports a constant speed motor 27 outside the frame with the motor output shaft 23 extending horizontally into the open space within the frame (FIG. 2). Another pair of angle irons 29 are in spaced, parallel alignment to the bracket 26 spannin the space between the angle irons 24. A pair of brackets 3%) are bolted to the angle irons 29 with a space between and provide bearings 31 for a shaft 32 which is joined to the motor output shaft 28 by a coupling 33. A uniform motion cam 34 is fastened to the shaft 32 in the space between the brackets 30 by a set screw 35 or equivalent means.

A pair of brackets 36 rise from the angle irons 22 to the left of the cam 34, as viewed in FIG. 1, and pivotally support a shaft 37. A motor base 38 is formed of angle irons 39 and a plate 40 to which a constant speed motor 41 is bolted with the output shaft 42 of the motor 4-1 above and at right angles to the cam shaft 31. A pair of brackets 43 (FIG. 1) depend from the end of the motor base 38 remote from the motor shaft 42 and are rigidly connected to the shaft 37. Another shaft 44 is rigidly fastened to the lower side of the motor base 38 at the opposite end by brackets 45 welded to the frame and by a pair of collars 46 to prevent end-wise movement of the shaft 44. A cam follower 47 is mounted for free rotation on the shaft 44 and is in engagement with the peripheral face 48 of the cam 34 at a point in vertical alignment with the cam shaft 52. A pair of collars 49, one on either side of the cam follower 47, maintains the follower 47 in alignment with the cam 34.

A mandrel 56 of any suitable type for retaining the replaceable spool 18 in positive rotative engagement therewith is mounted on the output shaft 42 of the motor 41. The shaft 42, the mandrel 50 and the spool 18 rotate as a unit. The length and diameter of the mandrel may vary to accommodate spools of dilferent length and diameter than that shown in FIG. 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the uniform motion cam 34 is rotated in either direction to pivot the motor base 38 on the shaft 37 and by reason of the uniform rise and fall of the cam 34 the distance between centers of the cam shaft 32 and the cam follower shaft 44 is respectively increasing and decreasing. The motor 41, the mandrel 50 and the spool 18 will rise and fall in unison with the motor base 35 within the limits of the dashed line positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Also as shown in FIG. 1, the solid line position of the spool bisects the arc inscribed by the spool 18 and is hereinafter designated as the normal or at rest position. For purposes of illustration, the arc generated by the pivotal action lies in a vertical plane, however, it is well within the scope of the operation to pivot the motor-mandrel assembly in a horizontal plane or in an inclined plane. in order to accomplish the latter it would be well within the comprehension of one skilled in the art to substitute an eccentric linked to the motor for the cam and roller shown in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will also be noted in FIGS. 1 and 3 that the collection point on the pad 14 lies in a plane that is normal to a line parallel to the axis of rotation of the spool 1%, that in the at rest position (solid lines) the strand 17 contacts the periphery of the spool 18 midway of its len th and as the spool is pivoted from the normal position the strand 17 traverses toward the end of the spool lying closer to the collection point. Thus, as the spool 18 is pivoted through one complete cycle two courses will be wound upon the spool, each course being in an opposite direction.

Irrespective of the pivoted position of the spool 18 within the prescribed limits of the arc the approach of the strand 1'7 to the spool 13 is normal to the axis of rotation of the spool.

It will also be noted that the traversed length of the package varies directly to the distance between the collection point 14 and the axis of the spool. Thus, if the pad 14- were moved away from the spool 13, the traversing stroke would be increased and conversely if the pad were moved toward the spool the stroke would be decreased. Varying the throw of the cam 34 also increases and decreases the magnitude of the traversing stroke in direct proportion. However, since the approach of the strand 17 is at all times normal to the axis of rotation of the spool 18, the diameter of the spool or the depth of the cake will not alter the magnitude of the traversing stroke.

Since it is simpler to vary the distance between the pad 14 and the spool 18, this is the preferred form of varying the magnitude of the traversing stroke. However, if for some reason it is desired to change cams, it would be a relatively simple matter to provide means for vertically raising and lowering the cam shaft 32 to retain the spool 18 in the solid line position of FIG. 1 when the cam follower 44 is in contact with the median point on the periphery of either the rise or fall.

The uniform motion cam 34 shown will produce a substantially cylindrical package. However, modification of the cam will permit acceleration and dec leration within the traversing stroke to produce a package that is crowned at the center or one that is crowned at the ends.

in order to attenuate the filaments 12 and the strand 17, motor 41 revolves at a speed which is calculated to wind the strand on the spool 18 at a lineal rate that exceeds the lineal flow of the filaments from the bushing ll). Likewise, the rotative speed of the motor 27 carrying the cam 34 is calculated to provide a traverse of the spool 18 so that successive bights of the strand are separated. With the rpm. of motor 41 held constant, the space between successive bights varies in direct ratio with the rpm. of the motor 27. When packaging coated strand, it is preferred to traverse the spool rapidly with the strand 1? inscribing a large helix angle. Thus, the bights in any half cycle are spaced apart a substantial distance and the bights of any complementary half cycle intersect the bights of the preceding half cycle at an angle to provide substantially point contacts at the intersections. This feature is particularly important in packaging coated material, for the package unwinds with less tension being placed on the strand and at a uniform tension throughout the package.

Briefly summarizing, glass is melted in a bushing 10 and flows from a plurality of orifices formed in the bottom of the bushing as streams. The heated streams of glass attenuate into filaments as they descend and are coated and collected into a strand at a point, such as pad 14. Thereafter, the strand 17 is started on the spool 18 and the motors 2.7 and 41 are energized to respectively pivot and revolve the spool 18. The starting point of the strand on the spool is immaterial for the strand 17 will quickly assume a position normal to the axis of rotation of the spool 18 and will retain that position as the axis of rotation is pivoted forward and back within the arc prescribed by the cam 34. Each revolution of the cam 3 will produce a forward and a reverse traverse of the spool with the lead angle of the strand proportionate to the relative speeds of the motors.

The winding and traversing apparatus may also be used advantageously in transferring a continuous strand from one package to another, either using the pad 14 to apply a coating or replacing the pad with a guide eye.

Though not specifically shown in the drawings, it is considered within the scope of this invention to pro gressively incline the spool in one direction only and by properly co-ordinating the speed of rotation of the spool with the rate of inclination, to wind a package to its full depth in a uni-directional traverse.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as an illustrative embodiment only of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts, as well as various procedural changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a continuous strand package, comprising:

(a) advancing a strand from a source;

(b) winding said strand upon the periphery of a replaceable spool mounted upon a mandrel while concurrently revolving said spool about a first axis and pivotaoly oscillating said spool about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation and out of vertical alignment with said spool to move said strand substantially lengthwise of said spool; and

(c) removing said spool with the strand wound thereon as a package from said mandrel.

2. The method of forming a continuous strand package from a plurality of continuous filaments, comprismg:

(a) advancing from a source a plurality of filaments;

(b) collecting said filaments into a strand at a point spaced from said source;

(c) winding said strand upon the periphery of a replaceable spool mounted upon a mandrel while concurrently revolving said spool about a first axis and pivotably oscillating said spool about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation and out of vertical alignment with said spool to move said strand substantially lengthwise of said spool; and

(d) removing said spool with the strand wound thereon as a package from said mandrel.

3. The method of forming a continuous strand package of predetermined width from a plurality of continuous filaments, comprising:

(a) collecting from a source a plurality of filaments into a strand at a point spaced from said source;

(b) winding said strand upon the periphery of a replaceable spool mounted upon the mandrel while concurrently revolving said spool about a first axis and pivotably oscillating said spool within a se- (c) removing said spool with the strand wound thereon as a package from said mandrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Holcomb M Oct. 7, 1952 Stephens et a1 Aug. 5, 1958 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING A CONTINUOUS STRAND PACKAGE, COMPRISING: (A) ADVANCING A STRAND FROM A SOURCE; (B) WINDING SAID STRAND UPON THE PERIPHERY OF A REPLACEABLE SPOOL MOUNTED UPON A MANDREL WHILE CONCURRENTLY REVOLVING SAID SPOOL ABOUT AN AXIS AND PIVOTABLY OSCILLATING SAID SPOOL ABOUT AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION AND OUT OF VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SPOOL TO MOVE SAID STRAND SUBSTANTIALLY LENGTHWISE OF SAID SPOOL; AND 